Flange lubricator



Aug-20, 1935. M. WILEY FLANGE LUBRICATOR Filed Aug. 10, 1934 M! INVENTOR BY m ATTORNEY Patented Au 20, 1935 FLANGE U B RicA'rOBY;Y 1 Q -V ar 'wiley, Chicago, Ill, Application August, 10, 1934, 7 Serial N5, 2

' s Claims-(Cl. -18 V This invention relates to mechanisms for applying lubricanttothefianges of locomotive-or car wheels and one object is tolprovide' means whereby exhaust steam from the air pump; upon the locomotive will be util-ized to convey oil to the wheel flanges and to heat the oil in cold weather. Another'object is-to provide mechanism for the stated purpose whichwill operate automatically and will require little,"if any, attention.. 'It is also an object to reclaim from the steam any oil which may be carried therein and tocondense asubstantial portion of the steam and apply-the water of condensation to the wheel.

flanges. -These stated objects and other'objects llfwwhich will appear as the description proceeds are attained in such an'zapparatus as is illustrated in .the accompanying drawing, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be 3535 having a hollow wall or jacket 5 entirely sur-' rounding it" and provided inits top with a filling opening normally closed by a plug 6. There is also a drain opening in its bottom normally closed by a plug 1. Branch steam pipes 8 and 9" 4%) leadinto and from the jacket 5 to provide for a circulation of steam around the reservoir, so thatthe oil will be heated and will flow freely even in very cold weather. The inlet 8 risesfrom the exhaust pipe IQ of a steam pump H and the outlet pipe 9 is connected to a discharge pipe l2 which will be more fully referred to later.

In the bottom of the oil reservoir; preferably at the center, is an internally threaded opening in which is engaged and held a short outlet tube l3 having the upper end of its bore flared, as shown at I l, said flared portion and the upper end portion of the tube forming a double seat for a valve I5. Said valve'consists of a disk'of a proper diameter to extend over the entire area 55 of the end of the bore and rest on the end of the Figure'lis; a diagrammatic elevation showing is a section on the. line 5-4 of Fig longitudinal section throughone tube, V and a? downwardly tapered "bodyf adapted to seat in the. flared mouth of the bore. {A stein Hi depends from the tapered body o f. the valve and carries a piston H at its lower end; ex-.1

' ternally threaded bossf|8is formed on the under v sideof the oil reservoir concentrically about the outlet openingand the tube 13; and engaged on and carried by saidboss isan :upper cylindrical trap body l9 within-whichis a-cylinder 26, the ,pis-r ton ll working in said cylinder 29. The cylinder 28 is provided with a port '21 in itsiside at its;

upper end and1..a.--free space 22;; between ithecylinder and the trap ;body constitutes a conduit.

through which the oil may flow .from -;said port 2lto a dischargeand intercepting-pipe1z3 de pending from the bottom of-the trap body. All;

29. through the side of the same-andthe side of the-trap body below the piston. This pipe is shown as leading frornan air reservoir 25 but it must beunderstood that it; may be connected with a steam supply-as-itspurpose is to deliver pressure fluid below the pistonetoraisethe same and thereby open thevalve. Whenthe pressure: drops, the valve will be .closedby reason of its air supply pipe2 l is shown entering the cylinder ownweight and the weight of the piston andstenr aided by the'actionof .an expansion:springrzfi; betweenthe piston andthe-boss I8. 'fl'heypipeyfl; isprovided witha reducing valve 21 of any ap,-; proved form which will facilitatesetting the apjparatus to operatejat a desiredpressure'z.

The pipe 23ris. housed by a coupling 'nozz'lei28' rising from'a lower trap bodyizfl and threaded I onto a flange or rim 3!) on the under sidezof the upper; trap 'body, as shown; the exhaust :steam pipe l0 entering and being secured in oned-side of the nozzle and the waste or discharge'pip'e l2 being secured in the opposite side of..-the nozzle. in alinement withthepipe l0." From thi'bottom of the trap body 29 distributing pipes 3|.i

lead to the severalwheels andon the endof-each distributing pipe is a nozzle .3-2 whichiis prefer-4 ably of the form shown in Figure 5, in which the nozzle body has two branches with the outlet bore extending obliquely downward across the inlet bore. In the upper end of the outlet bore is fitted a screw plug 33, the inner lower end of which projects more or less acrossthe end of the inlet so that by adjusting the plug the dis-' charge of the oil may be regulated as desired.

The steam pump receives oil for lubrication and the excess oil passes out with the exhaust steam. In flowing through the exhaust pipe iii, the steam and waste oil will be interrupted by the fins 34 so that the steam will be partly condensed and the oil retarded to slowly pass into the trap'29 and eventually flow to and be discharged onto the wheel flanges, the water of condensation going with the oil. Issuing from the pipe l0 Within the nozzle 28, the steam will be intercepted by the pipe 23 upon which more of the steam will be condensed to run down the pipe and carry the contained oil into the trap 29. The steam and oil not condensed will pass into the discharge pipe I2 and some of the steam will rise through the gooseneck pipe 35 to enter the conduit 22 and expedite the flow of oil to and through the pipe 23. By thus feeding steam into the upper trap, back pressure from the lower trap is neutralized so that stoppage in the pipe 23 is avoided. The steam which does not rise in the pipe 35 continues through the discharge pipe to mingle with the steam from the pipe 9 and be ultimately discharged through the smoke stack of the locomotive. Beyond the pipe 9, a union coupling 36 is interposed in the discharge pipe and fitted in this coupling is a metal washer 3'! which extends into the bore of the pipe and serves as a baffle to intercept any oil remaining in the steam and prevent said oil passing to the stack. When the pump governor throttles the pump, the oil thus intercepted will flow back to the trap 29, the pressure in the discharge or waste pipe then being very low. Beyond the baifie, a gate valve 38 is fitted in the discharge pipe in order to control the steam pressure in'the system and to blow out condensation in winter when the engine may be left outside the roundhouse with the pump shut ofi. When the pump is again started, the valve 38 is closed and the pump will then force steam through the entire system to drive all condensate to and through the nozzles 32 into the atmosphere. After all condensate has been driven out, the valve 38 is opened and normal operation will be resumed.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a simple and compact mechanism in which there are few moving parts so that it is not apt to get out of order.

The apparatus is automatic and will operate whenever steam is turned into the pump to drive the same and the air reservoir may be the reservoir forming a part of the air brake system and supplied from the pump. The exhaust steam which heats the main oil supply carries some oil and, therefore, constitutesone lubricating agent as well as a means of effecting circulation of the main body of oil. The utilization of steam in the manner described permits the use of very low bottom of the reservoir, a cylinder on the under- 10 side of the reservoir, a piston in the cylinder conneoted to the valve, means for delivering pressure fluid to the cylinder below the piston, a trap around the cylinder in spaced relation thereto,

and means to convey oil from said outlet to a flange to be lubricated and including nozzle means.

the cylinder having a port in its side at its upper 15 end and the trap having an outlet in its bottom,

3. Aflange-lubricating apparatus comprising 20 an oil reservoir, a trap under the reservoir, a pressure-operated valve controlling flow from the reservoir to the trap, a discharge pipe depending from the trap, a lower trap into which said pipe delivers, means for conveying oil from the lower 5 trap to a flange to be lubricated, and steam supply and wastepipes secured in the sides of the trap, the discharge pipe intercepting the flow between the steam pipes.

' 4. A flange-lubricating apparatus comprising an oil reservoir, a jacket surrounding the reservoir, means for admitting steam to said jacket, means for carrying steam from the jacket/means to reclaim oil from the outgoing steam, and pressure-controlled means for establishing flow of oil from the reservoir to a flange to be lubricated, said last-mentionedlmeans being in communication with the oil-reclaiming means.

5. A flange-lubricating apparatus comprising an oil reservoir, a trap on the under-side of the f reservoir, pressure-operated -means controlling flow from the reservoir to the trap, a discharge pipe depending from the trap, there being a conduit in the trap leading from the pressure controlled means to the discharge pipe, a lower trap. 5:?)

into which the discharge pipe delivers, steam delivery and exhaust pipes secured in opposite sides. of the lower trap, and a branch pipe leading from the exhaust steam pipe into the conduit in the upper trap.

6; A flange-lubricating apparatus comprising an oil reservoir, a trap on the under-side of the reservoir, pressure-operated means controlling flow from the reservoir to the trap, a discharge pipe depending from the trap, there being a conduit in the trap leading from the pressurecontrolled means to the discharge pipe, a lower trap into which the discharge pipe delivers, steam delivery and exhaust pipes secured in opposite sides'of the lower trap, and baflies in the steam 0 delivery pipe.

MARK WILEY. 

